1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to devices, software applications and networks that utilize data that is sent or received over data communication or computer networks. The present invention further relates to devices, software applications and networks that control the type and amount of data sent and received based on certain access criteria. More specifically, the present invention is directed to wireless devices implementing software to access a network, where that access is modulated depending on the speed of the wireless network connection and/or the type of data being sent or received by the wireless devices.
2. Description of Related Art
As mobile devices have become more ubiquitous, the types of mobile access and the bandwidths that they support have multiplied. Thus, a mobile telephone may not only support the transmission and receipt of voice communication, but also transmission of data. Data transmission may not occur at the same data rate as the voice communication. Similarly, laptop computers may be equipped with wireless communication devices that may connect at different data rates depending on the wireless environment they reside. For example, in the case of IEEE 802.11 devices, the distance from the access point, that controls the wireless network, to the device determines the data rate at which packets can be exchanged between the device and the access point.
The variable data rates and the various types of data being exchanged over a network greatly affect what a user can do with the wireless device. For example, a user that is using the wireless device may wish to download a large file over the network to the wireless device only when there is sufficient bandwidth such that the download would occur in under a specific period of time. Similarly, the user may wish to download only the text portions of a web page if the user is transferring data over a slow connection so that the user doesn't have to wait for pictures to be downloaded before accessing the web page. At present, the wireless devices do not take into account the data rate or the data type when transferring data.
Another example is provided below illustrates the need for more responsive wireless devices that affect other portions of the network. When a user seeks to download a large file and it takes a long time to download, the other portions of the network often have to cache at least a portion of the large file while the wireless device is downloading it. This requires a greater amount of overhead for the network that would not be needed if the server from which the user is seeking information could send less data or forward data at a lower data rate.
As such, there is a need for a method or mechanism in the prior art that can optimize the access of a wireless device, depending on the speed of the wireless network connection and/or the type of data being sent or received by the wireless devices. In addition, there is also a need for a network that will accommodate the wireless devices and allow the devices to properly optimize access.